REASE!
Close-up of spiral staircase from foyer to exhibition rooms.
informal seating on the grass slope behind the auditorium to cater for an extra 12-15.000 people.
(iii) Dressing Rooms. Separate dressing rooms for both sexes to cater for a maximum of 200 artistes. plus separate self-con- tained dressing rooms for one male and one female leading artiste.
(iv) Separate toilet facilities including showers for both sexes. Two costume stores and a store for properties and stage materials.
(v)
(vi) A workshop.
(vii) Electric control room. in- cluding stage lighting control.
viii) Orchestral pit or closure.
en-
(ix) A spare room or space to accommodate performers waiting their turn on the stage, etc.
(x) Ten separate rooms for cultural organisations to be used as offices-cum-meeting rooms. (xi) Lecture-cum-exhibition
rooms.
In addition to these requirements. there was to be provision of cat-
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walks and metal grids over the stage area for raising or lowering scenery; mechanical aid for sound reproduc- tion. which should be planned con- currently with the design of the theatre: and decorative electric lighting.
Choice of Architect
On the basis of these requirements, five firms of Singapore architects. submitted plans to the Minister of Culture and a panel of five judges. The winning design was that of Mr. Alfred H.K. Wong. S.I.A.. B. Arch. (Melb). A.R.L.B.A.. A.RA.I.A.
Winning Design
The proposed site of the National Theatre and the requirements of the organisers raised a number of pro- blems which the winning design sue- ceded in solving. These can be roughly classified as problems of the site, problems of stage machinery, problems of seating, problems of acoustics, structural problems and general problems. These problems and the ways in which they were solved will be dealt with in describ ing the building.
The Site
In the sense that it was the only site in the city where the topography
(a series of terraced slopes facing the site) lent itself to the formation of a bowl or amphitheatre, the site in the King George V Park was ideal. The only drawback however (as Singapore readers will appreciate) was that the site was near to a very busy crossroads and bounded on two sides by major roads. The design therefore had to be such that both the stage and the auditorium would be screened from traffic notise.
In view of these factors, the thea tre was designed in the form of a long block curved in such a way that both Clemenceau Avenue and River Valley Road would be satis- factorily screened from the auditor- ium which. itself. faced the natural slope of the hillside.
The building incorporates two long curving two-storey wings on either side of a tall stagehouse which faces the road
on one side and, on the other. acts as anchor for a 150-ft, cantilever roof over the auditorium. The northerly of the two, two-storey blocks (see drawing) contains the main entrance foyer.
This is pleasantly spacious, its Japanese mosaic floor unencumbered by pillars or other obstructions. Open concrete screens and collapsible metal gates around the walls and masked skylights in the gallery above ensure a good circulation of fresh air in the foyer. Artificial lighting is by attractive, locally-produced globe lamps arranged in vertical clusters on central metal stems to preserve a sense of height.
From the foyer, a flight of 25 spiral stairs leads to the first floor on which there are several exhibition and meeting rooms. These can be airconditioned at a later stage, if re- quired. It is intended that the en- trance foyer and two exhibition rooms can be combined into a self- contained exhibition area for ganisations not wishing to utilise the theatre itself.
or-
Also in the north wing are the 'green room. offices for the superin. tendent and other staff and, immedia- tely adjacent to the stage, a group of women's dressing rooms and two leading artistes' rooms with lavatories and showers.
The south wing houses the main performers entrance, three large men's dressing rooms, and two
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER
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VOLUME 18. NUMBER 5